Modern lacquers, oils and Estapols have recently taken the front seat to traditional finishes for antique furniture, but if you have pieces of sentimental or monetary value that deserve the best attention, then French polishing is the way to go.

"Today, French polishing is seen as just applying clear finishes to furniture, but traditionally it was a much more involved process," says french polisher Greg Peters.

Used mainly in antique restorations, traditional French polishing gives furniture a beautiful finish, Greg explains. "It really brings a clarity and depth to the timber that no modern polishing product can re-create," he says. "Modern finishes tend to reflect the light and can be quite harsh, whereas with shellac there is warmth – you can see into the timber." Shellac is a special resin that comes from an insect. The Lac beetle sucks sap from certain trees in India and South-East Asia, transforms it via a chemical process, and secretes it back onto the tree, which is harvested. The untreated resin is then dissolved in methylated spirits to make shellac.

French polishing involves building up hundreds of thin layers of shellac, which according to Greg is very time consuming. "It can take weeks, but it has huge positives," he says. "The layers adhere to each other, eventually forming one coat. On the other hand, modern products tend to form layers that disguise clarity and can lead to deterioration." This means that you can keep adding layers of shellac when maintenance or restoration is required and it will continue to adhere. "With antiques you want to keep any interference to a minimum," explains Greg. "When modern finishes deteriorate you have to strip them off, which can result in more damage, whereas with shellac you can build on the original finish."

Although shellac varnish is quite soft and needs particular care, it does have its definite advantages. "Mainly it keeps the look and feel of the original piece," says Greg. "Also, shellac can be easily repaired, whereas other products tend to have a limited lifespan, so at some stage you will have to strip and refinish, destroying the patina and historic value of the piece."

Compared with using modern furniture lacquer, French polishing is not a cheap process, with price depending on the size, age, condition and type of timber the piece is made out of. "The process works particularly well with close-grain timbers such as mahogany and walnut," says Greg. "Open-grain timbers such as oak and Australian cedar are much more laborious, as you really have to work much harder to fill the grain." But if you’ve got a loved antique piece, the cost will be worth it in the end. Of course, you can save money by doing it yourself, but since French polishing is traditionally considered a master craftsperson’s art, it might be worthwhile attending a DIY course first.

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